Pakistan's performance in the 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy commenced poorly. The defending champions suffered a defeat by 60 runs against New Zealand in their opening match held at home on Wednesday. The situation worsened on Thursday when the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a penalty on the team for a slow over-rate during the game at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi.

After the loss to New Zealand, where Pakistan was unable to successfully chase a target of 321 runs, the team was fined for falling one over short of the required bowling rate, even after accounting for time allowances. The on-field umpires, Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula, along with third umpire Joel Wilson and fourth umpire Alex Wharf, brought forth the charge. Match referee Andy Pycroft subsequently enforced the penalty, which involved a deduction of five per cent from the match fee. Pakistan's captain, Mohammad Rizwan, accepted responsibility for the infraction, thus negating the need for a formal hearing.

According to Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which addresses minimum over-rate violations, players incur a fine of five per cent of their match fee for each overbowl short of the allotted time.

Pakistan will next face India

The team led by Rizwan is set to confront their long-standing rivals, India, on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, aiming to maintain their competitiveness in the Champions Trophy. A defeat in this match would effectively eliminate them from the tournament.

However, Pakistan will be without the services of Fakhar Zaman, who was ruled out of the Champions Trophy on Thursday due to an injury sustained while fielding in the first over against New Zealand. The ICC Event Technical Committee, which comprises Wasim Khan, Usman Wahla, Sarah Edgar, and former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock, has sanctioned the inclusion of opener Imam-ul-Haq as his replacement.

Read Also: CCL 2025: Could Darling Krishna Emerge as the Top Batsman of Season 11?

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